Toys which are capable of transformation between alternate shapes or configurations are well known in the art. Typically, such alternately configurable toys are formed of a plurality of components which are variously coupled and articulated to be moved into alternative positions relative to each other. In most such toys, the alternate configurations result in different shapes and characters for the toy. Most such alternately configurable toys are formed of molded plastic elements which are often highly detailed and which produce distinctly different types of toys in their alternate configurations. Thus, for example, such toys often are alternately configurable between some type of vehicle and some type of fanciful creature such as a robot. Still others, are provided which produce alternate configurations which are both vehicles but which are vehicles but which are vehicles of decidedly different character such as an airplane transformable into a truck or the like.
Notsurprisingly, such alternately configurable toys have been provided in many varieties and types by practitioners in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. Des.295,994 issued to Matsumoto sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY AIRCRAFT CARRIER having a plurality of articulated components transformable between a toy robot and an aircraft carrier and further transformable into an aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.287,037 issued to Matsushiro sets forth a CHANGEABLE ROBOT TOY alternately configurable between a robot and an aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.287,378 issued to Ohno sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE JET PLANE TOY alternately configurable between an aircraft, a tank and a fanciful robot.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.289,426 issued to Lim sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY ROBOT alternately configured as an aircraft or a robot.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.290,480 issued to Maruyama sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY AIRPLANE alternately configurable between a robot and a toy airplane.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.290,481 issued to Kitamura sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY BOAT transformable between a robot and a hovercraft type boat.
U.S. Pat. Nos. Des.293,803 and 293,804 both issued to Doi each set forth similar RECONFIGURABLE TOY JET PLANES which alternately form between a jet plane and a robot.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.293,805 issued to Matsumoto sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY JET PLANE capable of alternate configuration between a jet plane and a robot.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.293,806 issued to Shibukawa sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY SPACE SHUTTLE capable of alternate configuration between a space shuttle and a robot.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.297,038 issued to Ohno sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TOY VEHICLE TANKER capable of alternate configuration between a toy robot, a toy jet airplane a tanker type truck toy.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.303,411 issued to Matsuda sets forth a RECONFIGURABLE TANK AND JET ASSEMBLY TOY capable of alternate configuration between a robot-type toy and a jet aircraft and mobile launcher device.
British patent 288,895 issued to White; U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,721 issued to Humphrey; U.S. Pat. No. Des.288,216 issued to Jensen and U.S. Pat. No. Des.86,219 issued to Collette set forth various toy airships and balloons of different designs. Additional toy balloons and airships are shown in German patent 6512 issued to Wagemann and British patent 46855 also issued to Wagemann. Further toy airships and balloons are shown in French patent 433,269 issued to Glaubitz and French patent 396,087 issued to Grimm as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,914 issued to Hutchinson.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,060 issued to Reid sets forth a FLYING SUBMARINE having a submarine-like fuselage which supports a pair of retractable wings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,554 issued to Hsien-yang sets forth a TOY DEVICE WHICH CAN BE OPENED AND POSITIONED AT ANY DESIRED ANGLE in which a toy space shuttle includes a pair of openable and closeable cargo compartment doors.
U.S. Pat. No. Des.329,886 issued to Fugitani sets forth an AIR CUSHION BOAT TOY while U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,759 issued to Tilbor et al. sets forth a ROTARY AIRCRAFT PASSIVELY STABLE IN HOVER.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for ever more improved, interesting and amusing toys capable of alternate configurations.